Leo Johnson
Encyclopedia
Leo Johnson is a character
from the television series Twin Peaks
, created by David Lynch
and Mark Frost
. He is portrayed by Eric Da Re
.
Leo is a trucker who also moonlights as Twin Peaks' primary source of narcotics, which he obtains from the Renault Brothers, and traffics it over the Canadian/US border for distribution in Twin Peaks. Because of his criminal versatility, Sheriff Truman has never been able to obtain any evidence of his criminal dealings.
Leo is married to Shelly
, one of the waitresses at the town diner. He regularly beats her for both real and imagined transgressions, ranging from her infidelity with high school football player Bobby Briggs to his dissatisfaction with the way she washes the kitchen floor.
At the start of the series, Leo is one of the primary suspects in the murder of Laura Palmer
. The plastic sheeting Laura's corpse was found wrapped in was identical to the sheeting Leo used as a temporary wall for his shack; his name triggered a positive response in a bizarre exercise utilized by Special Agent Cooper
to determine suspects; and, most damningly of all, it was discovered that Leo was one of Laura's regular sexual partners, engaging her in increasingly dark and violent sessions of BDSM
. As it turns out, though, Leo was simply present on the night Laura was murdered by Killer Bob. Leo, Laura, Jacques Renault, and Laura's girlfriend Ronnette Pulaski had been having an orgy
when Bob came across Jacques' cabin; Bob waited for Jacques to go outside to urinate, and then attacked him. When Leo found Renault's unconscious and bloodied body, he panicked and fled the cabin, leaving Laura tied up and at Bob's mercy.
While under investigation for the Palmer murder, Leo is hired for his criminal skills by Ben Horne
, who charges him with burning down the Packard Saw Mill with his business rival Catherine Martell inside so that Horne can simultaneously kill his competition and destroy the only obstacle to his obtaining the valuable Mill land. Leo decides to take advantage of the situation and use it to solve his own marital discord, abducting Shelly and tying her up inside the mill shortly before setting fire to it with a time bomb. Catherine foils his plans, however, freeing Shelly and helping her escape the mill.
When Leo returns home from setting fire to the mill, he discovers Bobby looking for Shelly. Leo attacks him with an axe, but is gunned down by Hank Jennings, hired by Ben Horne to cover his own tracks.
Leo spends most of the second season in a vegetative state, cared for by Shelly and Bobby, who agree to take him in as part of a scheme to commit insurance fraud
. The plan backfires, however, when it turns out that Leo's home care is far more expensive than they had anticipated, and the pair are left destitute. To vent their frustration, they take to abusing Leo whilst simultaneously flaunting their relationship in front of him.
Near the end of the season, Leo regains some of his cognitive abilities and instinctively attacks Shelly and Bobby. Wounded during the course of a struggle, he staggers into the woods, where he is abducted by escaped mental patient (and former FBI agent) Windom Earle
. Earle enslaves the barely coherent Leo by affixing him with a shock collar and forcing him into submission. Leo spends the remainder of the series as a mute drone, serving Windom Earle.
In the third to last episode, Leo seems to regain some more functioning ability, as he frees another one of Earle's captives, Major Garland Briggs, believing Shelly's life to be in danger after Earle posts a photo of her on his cabin wall. In the series finale, Earle leaves Leo for dead, rigging a cage of poisonous tarantulas above Leo's head, with a string affixed between Leo's teeth; if Leo lets go of the string, the cage will drop on his face, releasing the agitated tarantulas. His fate is never revealed, although a shooting script indicated that he was supposed to be found by the Twin Peaks' Sheriff's Department, and that, upon seeing them break into Earle's cabin, he would have tried to speak, releasing the cage onto his face.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the television series Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
, created by David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
and Mark Frost
Mark Frost
Mark Frost is an American novelist, television/film writer, director, who is best known as a writer for the TV show Hill Street Blues and co-creator of the show Twin Peaks.-Personal life:...
. He is portrayed by Eric Da Re
Eric Da Re
Eric Da Re is an American actor who is primarily famous for playing the notorious criminal Leo Johnson on the cult TV show, Twin Peaks and its prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.- Biography:...
.
Leo is a trucker who also moonlights as Twin Peaks' primary source of narcotics, which he obtains from the Renault Brothers, and traffics it over the Canadian/US border for distribution in Twin Peaks. Because of his criminal versatility, Sheriff Truman has never been able to obtain any evidence of his criminal dealings.
Leo is married to Shelly
Shelly Johnson
Shelly Johnson is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, and created in mid-casting specifically for actress Mädchen Amick, after they liked her audition, but didn't have any parts left....
, one of the waitresses at the town diner. He regularly beats her for both real and imagined transgressions, ranging from her infidelity with high school football player Bobby Briggs to his dissatisfaction with the way she washes the kitchen floor.
At the start of the series, Leo is one of the primary suspects in the murder of Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer
Laura Palmer is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. Her death was the catalyst for the events of the series...
. The plastic sheeting Laura's corpse was found wrapped in was identical to the sheeting Leo used as a temporary wall for his shack; his name triggered a positive response in a bizarre exercise utilized by Special Agent Cooper
Dale Cooper
FBI Special agent Dale Bartholomew Cooper is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan. He is the lead protagonist of the series, and briefly appears in the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me....
to determine suspects; and, most damningly of all, it was discovered that Leo was one of Laura's regular sexual partners, engaging her in increasingly dark and violent sessions of BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
. As it turns out, though, Leo was simply present on the night Laura was murdered by Killer Bob. Leo, Laura, Jacques Renault, and Laura's girlfriend Ronnette Pulaski had been having an orgy
Orgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures....
when Bob came across Jacques' cabin; Bob waited for Jacques to go outside to urinate, and then attacked him. When Leo found Renault's unconscious and bloodied body, he panicked and fled the cabin, leaving Laura tied up and at Bob's mercy.
While under investigation for the Palmer murder, Leo is hired for his criminal skills by Ben Horne
Ben Horne
Benjamin Joseph Horne is a character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, portrayed by Richard Beymer. His last name is based on real life department store owner Joseph Horne founder of Horne's in Pittsburgh where Mark Frost is from, while his and his...
, who charges him with burning down the Packard Saw Mill with his business rival Catherine Martell inside so that Horne can simultaneously kill his competition and destroy the only obstacle to his obtaining the valuable Mill land. Leo decides to take advantage of the situation and use it to solve his own marital discord, abducting Shelly and tying her up inside the mill shortly before setting fire to it with a time bomb. Catherine foils his plans, however, freeing Shelly and helping her escape the mill.
When Leo returns home from setting fire to the mill, he discovers Bobby looking for Shelly. Leo attacks him with an axe, but is gunned down by Hank Jennings, hired by Ben Horne to cover his own tracks.
Leo spends most of the second season in a vegetative state, cared for by Shelly and Bobby, who agree to take him in as part of a scheme to commit insurance fraud
Insurance fraud
Insurance fraud is any act committed with the intent to fraudulently obtain payment from an insurer.Insurance fraud has existed ever since the beginning of insurance as a commercial enterprise. Fraudulent claims account for a significant portion of all claims received by insurers, and cost billions...
. The plan backfires, however, when it turns out that Leo's home care is far more expensive than they had anticipated, and the pair are left destitute. To vent their frustration, they take to abusing Leo whilst simultaneously flaunting their relationship in front of him.
Near the end of the season, Leo regains some of his cognitive abilities and instinctively attacks Shelly and Bobby. Wounded during the course of a struggle, he staggers into the woods, where he is abducted by escaped mental patient (and former FBI agent) Windom Earle
Windom Earle
Windom Earle is a fictional character in the American TV series Twin Peaks, played by Kenneth Welsh.He is a former FBI agent, and the former partner and best friend of Agent Dale Cooper. He features in the second half of the second season. He is an evil genius and a master of disguise, well-versed...
. Earle enslaves the barely coherent Leo by affixing him with a shock collar and forcing him into submission. Leo spends the remainder of the series as a mute drone, serving Windom Earle.
In the third to last episode, Leo seems to regain some more functioning ability, as he frees another one of Earle's captives, Major Garland Briggs, believing Shelly's life to be in danger after Earle posts a photo of her on his cabin wall. In the series finale, Earle leaves Leo for dead, rigging a cage of poisonous tarantulas above Leo's head, with a string affixed between Leo's teeth; if Leo lets go of the string, the cage will drop on his face, releasing the agitated tarantulas. His fate is never revealed, although a shooting script indicated that he was supposed to be found by the Twin Peaks' Sheriff's Department, and that, upon seeing them break into Earle's cabin, he would have tried to speak, releasing the cage onto his face.